Tottenham finally ended a 17-year trophy drought by lifting the Europa League, a triumph that could signal a new era of success – with or without Ange Postecoglou at the helm.
The Australian coach guided Spurs to their first European title since 1984, but his future remains uncertain as the club languishes in 17th place in the Premier League – its worst top-flight campaign since returning in 1978.
A 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Bilbao not only brought silverware to north London but also secured a Champions League spot and a potential 100 million ($134 million) financial windfall.
That money could prove vital in rebuilding a squad plagued by injuries and short on quality in key areas.
However, the biggest step forward for Spurs may be psychological, having ended a barren spell stretching nearly two decades – since they last won the League Cup in 2008.
Postecoglou accepted he may not be in charge next season but said he believes his players will be bolstered by the experience.
“Unfortunately, the longer it goes on, it’s harder to break that cycle sometimes,” he said. “Until you take that monkey off your back, you don’t understand what it feels like.”
The coach said his young side would begin to crave the taste of success and now understood the work required to achieve it.
“We’ve got a really young group of players and you can talk to them about success and what it means, but until they feel it, it doesn’t become real,” he told reporters. “I’ve got no doubt that all those boys tonight, having this feeling, will want this again – and to get it again, they’re going to have to make similar sacrifices.”
“They’ve climbed a mountain now, so they know what it takes to get to where we are. I think that accelerates the opportunity to build a team that can be successful and competitive at the highest level for years to come.”
Postecoglou watched from a slight remove as his players celebrated wildly.
The coach described himself as a “serial winner” and said he had learned a thing or two while picking up trophies with Celtic and Australian side Brisbane Roar, among others.
“I’ve learned to understand that what makes nights like these memorable is to remember them,” he said. “I kind of stand back and just watch everyone else enjoy it, and that’s all I need.”
Tottenham experienced heartbreak in the all-English Champions League final in Madrid in 2019, falling 2-0 to Liverpool.
While none of the club’s younger players – including goalscorer Brennan Johnson, 23 – were there to endure that defeat, captain Son Heung-min was. He was delighted to finally earn his first trophy at the club.
“I felt the pressure. I wanted it so badly. The last seven days, I was dreaming every single day ... I can sleep easy now,” he said.
Departed Spurs great Harry Kane, who won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich this season – the first trophy of his career – spent over a decade at the club without tasting success before leaving in 2023 to find it elsewhere.
After claiming their third Europa League crown, Tottenham will have another chance to lift silverware in the UEFA Super Cup after the summer break, where they will face Paris Saint-Germain or Inter Milan, who meet in the Champions League final.
It will be a quick test of Postecoglou’s theory that Spurs have made significant progress – even if he’s not on the bench to see it.
“I haven’t had any discussions [with the board], nobody has spoken to me about anything,” he said. “I’m going to go back to my hotel room, get my family and friends together, open up a nice bottle of Scotch, have a couple of quiet ones, get ready for a massive parade on Friday.
“Then Monday, I’m going on holiday with my beautiful family because I deserve it – and ‘Que Sera, Sera.’”
